NAS and NAM Announce Initiative on Human Gene Editing

The NAS and the NAM are launching a major initiative to guide decision making about controversial new research involving human gene editing. Human gene-editing technologies may lead to promising treatments for disease, but recent experiments also have raised important questions about the potential risks and ethical concerns of altering the human germline.

The NAS/NAM initiative will include an international summit in fall 2015 to explore the scientific, ethical, and policy issues associated with human gene-editing research. In addition, the two academies will appoint a multidisciplinary, international committee to begin a comprehensive study of the scientific underpinnings and clinical, ethical, legal, and social implications of human gene editing.